On This Water

Florida · Boca Grande / Charlotte Harbor

Tarpon should be the day — the Pass — tarpon in the throat, then Gasparilla grass for reds and snook.

The pass. Migratory tarpon stack in Boca Grande Pass in spring. Charlotte Harbor and Gasparilla hold snook and reds. NOAA 8725577 is the pass clock (predictions). Water temp is Fort Myers 8725520 — there is no live well at the inlet.

  • This brief is for 2026-03-01, not this morning. Wind is a forecast. Observed water versus the table is a today-only instrument.
8.6OF 10

Forecast

medium confidence

Forecast brief for Sunday, March 1. Back to this morning

Morning line

Boca Grande 8.6 on Sunday, March 1. 5 mph E. Clear. YOLO day is Tuesday, August 25. Scores are 1–10, not a bite.

Mail it
-0.8-0.10.61.32.0HLHLHLHLSat 7 PMSun 7 PMMon 7 PMTue 7 PMWed 7 PM
incoming · -0.15 ftNOAA hourly · ft MLLW

Wind

OPEN-METEO

NESW5MPH

From E · gust 7

Sky

OPEN-METEO

Clear

Clear

A 20% shower chance is not a cancel. A soaker is.

Moon

94% lit

Waxing gibbous

mid range · 94%

Water

No gauge

Water

48°92°

Today’s range 2.0 ft

incoming

-0.15 ft MLLW

Clock

NOAA 8725577

  • HighSun 12:26 PM · 0.75
  • LowSun 4:25 PM · 0.47
  • HighSun 11:08 PM · 1.56
  • LowMon 6:13 AM · -0.33
  • HighMon 12:42 PM · 0.83

Monthly YOLO day

Tuesday, August 25 · 8.8

Best remaining dry day this month with a real wind forecast — and it is a copper day. waxing gibbous · mid · tide range ~1.8 ft · wind to 9 mph · Clouds · 11%

Next two weeks

Pulling the 14-day strip…

Where

  • Gasparilla Sound

    grass flat · public structure · mid

    9.0

    Harbor grass inside the pass. Reds and snook. Do not invent a hole — this is the sound.

    • grass flat on a incoming tide is a classic match.
    • In-play: Redfish, Snook, Tarpon.
    skiffkayakflyspin
  • Boca Grande Pass

    pass jetty · public structure · deep

    8.7

    The pass. NOAA 8725577 is the clock. Spring tarpon stack here. Current is the whole fishery — not a wade, not a skinny skiff.

    • pass jetty on a incoming tide is a classic match.
    • In-play: Tarpon, Snook, Redfish.
    skiffstructurespinfly
  • Cayo Costa / Boca Grande side

    sand dropoff · public structure · mid

    8.3

    State park shoreline south of the pass. Beach and bar. Park rules, not a private cut.

    • sand dropoff on a incoming tide is a workable match.
    • In-play: Snook, Redfish, Tarpon.
    skiffwadespinfly
  • FL - Pine Island Sound via Matlacha

    grass flat · saved map · skinny

    7.7

    Iconic sound flats: reds, snook, tarpon lanes. · flats · GULF ATLAS! - FISH

    • grass flat on a incoming tide is a classic match.
    • In-play: Tarpon.
    skiffkayakwadeflyspin

When

  • Incoming water

    10.0

    Sun 8:00 AMSun 2:00 PM

    Moving water in the right part of the day.

  • Outgoing water

    9.7

    Sun 2:00 PMSun 6:00 PM

    Water is moving, but the clock is against you — heat or dark.

  • Incoming water

    9.7

    Sun 6:00 PMMon 1:00 AM

    Moving water in the right part of the day.

  • Outgoing water

    10.0

    Mon 12:00 AMMon 8:00 AM

    Water is moving, but the clock is against you — heat or dark.

  • Incoming water

    10.0

    Mon 7:00 AMMon 2:00 PM

    Moving water in the right part of the day.

Launch and beach access

County and state ramps near this water. FKNMS no-take is Keys-only, on the legal list.

  • Placida / Gasparilla public ramps

    Charlotte County

    Harbor side of the Boca desk. The Pass is a run south from here.

    Official source
  • Cayo Costa State Park

    Florida State Parks

    Barrier island south of Boca Grande Pass. Boat or ferry. Park rules.

    Official source

Legal water

No-take and closed water cited to the agency that owns it. Only the Keys box is FKNMS.

No FKNMS polygon in this box. Mainland Florida, Louisiana, Texas, Mexico, and the Bahamas are not Keys sanctuary closures.

Why — and who

  • Tide is incoming from NOAA.
  • Clear. Sky is workable.
  • Wind 5 mph E. Castable. Sight-fishing is on if the sun is out.
  • Waxing gibbous moon — mid tide range. Marsh and passes usually want the extra current of a spring.

Redfish

Sciaenops ocellatus

8.4

Thermal window

48°92°

In peak season for this water. This tide stage (incoming) matches how they hunt.

Florida SE: typically 18–27 in, 1/person, 2/vessel. Harvest banned in federal waters. Keys backcountry, not oceanside. Boca Harbor yes.

Snook

Centropomus undecimalis

6.6

Thermal window

56°92°

Present, not peak. This tide stage (incoming) matches how they hunt.

Region matters. SE/Atlantic (Jupiter, Biscayne): typically 28–32 in, 1/day, closed Dec 15–Jan 31 and June 1–Aug 31. Charlotte Harbor / Southwest (Boca Grande): typically 28–33 in, closed Dec 1–end of Feb and May 1–Sep 30. Snook permit required. Verify FWC.

Tarpon

Megalops atlanticus

6.6

Thermal window

68°94°

Present, not peak. This tide stage (incoming) matches how they hunt.

Florida: catch-and-release. Fish over 40 in must stay in the water. One harvest tag/year only for a potential IGFA record.

Mangrove / gray snapper

Lutjanus griseus

6.6

Thermal window

64°92°

Present, not peak. This tide stage (incoming) matches how they hunt.

Florida: typically 10 in, inside the snapper aggregate. Verify FWC.

Great barracuda

Sphyraena barracuda

5.8

Thermal window

66°92°

Bycatch and beach noise — not the reason you came. Present, not peak. This tide stage (incoming) matches how they hunt.

Generally unregulated. Ciguatera risk rises with size. Do not keep a big one for the table.

Jack crevalle

Caranx hippos

4.8

Thermal window

64°94°

Bycatch and beach noise — not the reason you came. Off-season here. This tide stage (incoming) matches how they hunt.

Generally unregulated. Still, do not leave a pile.

Regs citedFWC saltwater recreational · current FWC regional rules · rolls in 7 days. Snook closures are regional. Boca Grande is not Jupiter. Verify FWC before you keep one.